TRUIST CHAMPIONSHIP

May 5, 2026

Sepp Straka

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Sepp Straka to the interview room here at the 2026 Truist Championship. Sepp, you're the defending champion here at Quail Hollow. Obviously winning the title last year at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, coming back here where you've had some success in the past, finished T-8 in 2024. What's your comfort level out here at Quail Hollow?

SEPP STRAKA: Yeah, I would have to say I have a mixed history here. Mostly not great weeks. Last time they had it here I finished top 10 two years ago. Yeah, took me moving to another golf course to win this tournament (laughing). Yeah, I'm excited. I'm really excited. I've always loved the event. They treat us really well. It's one of the best player dining, locker room situations we have all year. Yeah, happy to be here and looking forward to defending here.

THE MODERATOR: Coming into the week you're 11th in the FedExCup standings, had a great finish last week at Doral. How would you assess the state of your game at this point in the season?

SEPP STRAKA: I haven't really felt like I've put together a really good tournament. I've had good results, but I never really felt like I was playing great golf all year. Even last week I shot 1-over the second round and kind of put myself out of it there. Then had a good week toned kind of come back and have a good week. So, yeah, hopefully I can put four good rounds together here coming up shortly and, yeah, just looking forward to keeping that process going. But the golf game in general feels pretty good, just lack ago little bit of consistency maybe.

THE MODERATOR: Lastly, a few weeks ago you had the chance to go to Truist Park in Atlanta, home of the Braves. You're a big Braves fan, getting to throw out the first pitch, what was that experience like for you?

SEPP STRAKA: Yeah, that was great. That was definitely my favorite media day I've had. That was awesome. I got the juices flowing. I was a little nervous on the mound. Yeah, that was an awesome day. Had my family there with me. We just had a great time at a Braves game. Yeah, it was awesome.

THE MODERATOR: All right, open it up for questions.

Q. The 18th hole here, great finishing hole, wondering kind of what's your strategy on that hole and what shots do you feel like can you attack that hole with?

SEPP STRAKA: Yeah, it is. It's a really good finishing hole. I usually hit driver. If it's downwind a lot I'll hit 3-wood sometimes, but most of the time it's driver just because you can lay back behind those bunkers, but then the shot into the green is really tough with a long iron. I try to push it up there as much as possible, you just have to execute two really good golf shots. Especially if you're coming down the stretch on a Sunday, under some pressure, that's really tough to do. Yeah, it's a great finishing hole.

Q. Obviously much different conditions early in the week here at Quail Hollow in 2026 as compared to last year at the PGA. With these greens being so firm, kind of drought conditions here in the local area, how does that change your game plan coming into these pins and greens?

SEPP STRAKA: Yeah, when the greens are firm here it's really tough. Your landing spots get really, really small into the green. It puts an even bigger premium on hitting fairways because trying to get up-and-down on these greens when it's firm is really hard to do. It just puts a premium on ball striking, not necessarily to make birdies, but just to give yourself some easy pars. Yeah, it can play really tough. We're expecting a little bit of weather I think on Thursday, so hopefully it doesn't rain too much because I think everybody playing loves a good firm golf course.

Q. Coming back, you mentioned you have a spotty history here, three missed cuts in the last five years playing at this golf course. Is there something going back to 2024 that went right that you'll kind of lean on and rely on, or have you gone back and analyzed those round from the past few years here?

SEPP STRAKA: I would say I just remember hitting it really well. I was hitting the ball very well, especially my long irons. I'm not one of the longer hitters, and length is a huge advantage on this golf course. I just remember hitting a lot of mid to long irons into greens and being very precise with those and being in the fairway a lot. That's huge for me. Playing out of the rough from 180 to 220 yards is not fun around this place. Yeah, I think I need to strike the ball well here. The good thing is no cut I don't think this week, right? So, yeah, should be able to make the cut this week. So that will be nice.

Q. Curious, the love of baseball when did that develop?

SEPP STRAKA: I've always been a baseball fan.

Q. Even in Austria?

SEPP STRAKA: I agree up playing baseball there. There's a league this in Vienna that my brother and I grew up playing at, so we've always been baseball fans. My mom's from south Georgia. We moved to south Georgia when I was 14. So always been a Braves fan. Yeah, that's, that and Georgia football are probably my two biggest, I guess I'm the biggest fan of those two sports, yeah.

Q. Talking about an up-and-down season, what are some things you're working on right now or maybe trying to improve?

SEPP STRAKA: I would say, I wouldn't even really say it was that much of an up-and-down season. Results have been fairly consistent. I just haven't felt that great with my game. It's hard to kind of explain that. Ball striking-wise it just hasn't been as good, as consistent as I would like it to be. But I feel like it's been better here lately. Short game's been really good all year. That's, I feel like that's kind of held me in there. A lot of times when things aren't going so good that's held me in there. So, yeah, I would say ball striking I would like to see a little more consistency out of. The big thing is the putter is a little slower this year than last year. I feel like last year I made a lot of putts, especially early in the year. So hopefully we can get the putter warmed up and, yeah, have a little more consistency.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Sepp, thanks for the time. Best of luck this week.

SEPP STRAKA: Thank you. Appreciate it.